UAE's next K-Pop stars: When fans were trained to sing, dance like BTS and live a slice of idol stardom

It was as if I was hearing BTS’s song Life Goes On for the first time.

And I always thought that I was a seasoned ARMY.

Who knew that BTS’s vocalist Jimin was a chest singer?

Well, most of us didn’t, till we were told.

At a cosy K-Pop workshop in Abu Dhabi, conducted by Dong-Ah Institute of Media and Arts (DIMA) in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Centre, aspiring UAE residents tried to catch the nuances, rhythms, and intonations of Life Goes On. The session followed training in ‘chest singing,’ actual falsettos, and ‘head singing.’

It wasn’t as easy as knowing Korean; you needed to understand the lyrics’ meaning and nuance. You needed to catch the pauses at the right time. As Yu Miran, associate professor and Director of K-Pop at DIMA, with Jessica Anne Jobling, explained, the song described pandemic life and how the world “stopped,” reflected in Jungkook’s smooth pause that conveys discomfort at everything coming to a standstill. These pauses tie in with the song’s quiet, whimsical beats; without them, the performance would feel choppy.

After Life Goes On, participants tackled the catchy Takedown from K-Pop Demon Hunters. “You need to do the action to match the voice: Take it down,” Miran said, imitating the action. The class followed suit. Miran walked around, encouraging students, gently correcting them, and Jobling cheered, “Okay, you’re really rocking it."

You could almost believe that being a K-Pop star isn’t such a far-off dream. The intense, dedicated expressions of the students said it all.

Later, we had a chance to speak to Miran about the training of a K-Pop star.

On what she feels participants will take from experiencing K-Pop firsthand, Miran says, “I feel deeply grateful and proud to have the opportunity to bring Korea’s K-Pop education all the way to Abu Dhabi. Dong-Ah Institute of Media and Arts is the only media and arts–specialised university in Korea that operates its own broadcasting station, DIMA TV, with a nationwide transmission network.”

She explains that her university was the first in Korea to establish a structured education system for K-Pop, and accumulated experience and expertise, they have produced many outstanding K-Pop idols.

How does this workshop contribute to the growth of K-Culture in the Middle East?

Miran adds that the workshop isn’t intended for this camp to be a one-time event; rather, to expand and institutionalise the program in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Center in Abu Dhabi. “In particular, the UAE and the wider Middle East are actively pursuing national development visions that emphasise cultural diversification, the growth of creative industries, and to empower younger generations.” She says.

And so, K-Culture isn’t just entertainment. It’s meant to be a tool, a resource for creative learning and inspiration for their future.

Miran emphasises: K-Pop is more than just a genre, it is a comprehensive art form that embraces a wide spectrum of cultural and creative industries. To become a truly outstanding artist, qualities such as openness, creativity, and quick adaptability are essential. Explaining what they do at DIMA, she says that they provide a training environment that cultivates these qualities, not just through singing and dancing, but through music composition, arrangement and other creative practices.

What sets them apart: They operate a broadcast-station-level system on campus. “Performances in front of the camera are directed with great precision, down to subtle gestures and eye movements. Through repeated practice, students learn how to deliver performances that reveal new charms each time they are seen,” she says.

How do you adapt the rigorous K-Pop training for a short international workshop? Obviously you don’t expect high polished results, she says. Instead, the main purpose is for participants to experience the joy of coming together through K-Pop and for that experience to serve as inspiration as they pursue their own dreams. “Dance classes begin with full-body stretching to prevent injury, followed by fundamental movements to build a solid foundation before moving into choreography practice. Vocal classes start with essential vocal theory and then apply it directly by analysing and performing recent K-Pop songs.

Through this process, participants learn not only how theory works in practice but also how to build analytical skills and creative potential for their future musical endeavours.

Miran breaks it down:

Fundamentals: Skills like singing and dancing must be practised daily to perform with precision and confidence.

Professional expertise: Artists must demonstrate creativity, openness to adapt, and quick judgment to handle unexpected situations.

Appearance and charisma: The most powerful charm comes from confidence radiating from within.

Character: Personality and integrity are highly valued in Korea.

All four qualities are equally important, and their balance enables true success as a K-Pop performer.

In the dance class, people are divided into small groups to film reels videos. They learn the art of individual precision and maintaining formation, to bolster the overall performance. “In vocal class, they practise seamless part transitions, call-and-response, and harmonies. Even in a short workshop, participants realise that true beauty comes not from standing out alone but from blending harmoniously with others,” she says.

Could we see Middle Eastern trainees as the next generation of global K-Pop stars? Miran explains that she sees a trend where the ‘K’ in K-Pop is fading, becoming simply ‘POP.’ "A prime example is the global girl group KATSEYE, created through HYBE and Genius in the .S. During this workshop, I met many talented young people from the Middle East, and I believe we may soon see trainees from this region. If Dong-Ah Institute of Media and Arts contributes to this process, it can lead to even more meaningful outcomes.”